I have a 2015 Leaf S and I have been measuring my charges with a Kill-A-Watt, so I can log the energy efficiency. Having done this for nearly 10 years with my ICE, I know that the odometer accuracy can be an issue. So, I checked it against a GPS unit and confirmed that against Google Maps. The odometer indicated 26.6 miles, while both the GPS and Google Maps indicate 26.0 miles.

The bottom line is the car's odometer is ~2.3% too high, so it shows more distance that was actually traveled.

Has anybody else noticed this? How about with the models with 17" alloy wheels?

It is an issue for a lease, and for warranties based on mileage.

Last edited by NeilBlanchard on Sun Oct 26, 2014 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

That's about the same error as my odometer. I calculated mine as 2-3% high. The speedometer is off even more - about 5% high. Supposedly, they aren't tied together which would mean they are both independently crap. I asked the LEAF service "expert" at the dealership where I leased, and he said he'd never heard of a problem like that. Obviously he hasn't perused the MNL forum.

Hopefully this does not double post, my submit did not seem to go thru.

The GPS, and odometer are measuring different distances.The GPS measure straight line(level) distances, while theodometer measure actual road distance. An examplewould be if you could travel on a road at a 45 degree anglefor a GPS distance of 1 mile the odometer would correctlymeasure 1.4 miles. So the 2 different measurements willnever be the same unless traveling on roads that arealways flat with no over passes. Also GPS distance isfor center of road, while odometer is center of lane.And also GPS accuracy is limited and varies on location,and current atmospheric conditions.

There is very little elevation change. Google maps is pretty sophisticated - they have full 3D information on the entire earth. And so does GPS.

If you do the math:

C² - B² = A²(26.6*26.6) - (26*26) 707.56 - 676 = 31.56Square root of 31.56 = 5.6 MILES OF ELEVATION CHANGE. That would "just" be 2.8 miles each way to and from work on my commute - that's 14784 feet of elevation change.

cliff wrote:I think your assumption that GPS is showing inaccuracy of odometeris backwards, the odometer is showing the inaccuracy of GPS.

Sorry, cliff, but in my case, 2 GPS receivers and my Acura speedometer and odometer (Acuras are accurate, right?) confirm that the LEAF instruments are significantly "off". Why do you have such a high opinion of Nissan calibration?

Also: the 16" 205/55 tires on the Leaf S has an outside diameter of 24.9".The SL and SV have 17" 215/50 tires have an outside diameter of 25.5".

25.5 - 2.3% = 24.9135

It is the odometer that is reading too high.

So you are saying the odo is fine for the SL and SV with 17" wheels, and they didn't adjust it at all for the S with smaller wheels, so it reads 2.3% too high?

Sorry, I've got the dumb today.

I don't have access to an SL or SV, but yes, based on my measurements with the '15 Leaf S and the specs of the stock tires, it looks like the models with 17" wheels are as close to spot on as they could be. Tire wear will change that - smaller wheels means more miles registered.